The Ins and Outs of Campus Dining

Student employee Gordie Nash sat down with us to help answer some questions incoming Toreros may have about Meal Plans, DiningDollars, Campus Cash and how to stay full at USD!

Every first-year resident has a meal plan. How do you know what plan you have?

Nash: You can check it on the MySanDiego portal under the meal plan channel.

Another way to keep track of your meal plan is at the register when you pay. It will show the number of meals left in your Meal Plan or how many DiningDollars you have remaining.

Your Torero ID card also keeps your Campus Cash secure to use across campus at dining and retail locations.

Can you explain the difference between Meal Plan meals, DiningDollars and Campus Cash?

Nash: It’s simple! let me break it down for you.

Meal Plan meals can be used in Pavilion Dining during unlimited dining mealtimes, which include dinner every day of the week and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. You can "swipe" a meal and get your hand stamped, and then you get unlimited food during that mealtime! But just remember that Meal Plan meals expire at the end of the semester.

DiningDollars are part of your Meal Plan and are pre-loaded on your Torero ID Card. They are used just like cash! For example, if your meal cost $5.50, then you can swipe your card and pay with $5.50 of your DiningDollars. You can use DiningDollars at Pavilion Dining, Aromas, Bert’s Bistro, Frank’s Place, L’atelier within Tu Mercado, La Paloma, and Missions Café. Your DiningDollars will roll over from fall to spring semester, but will expire at the end of the school year.

Campus Cash can be added to your account at any time. It is a declining balance account that can be used to purchase just about anything on campus, including: food in the dining locations, office supplies and gear at the USD Torero Store, and even to pay for your copies made at the library. You can even give your parents access to your account to keep it full for you. Your Campus Cash rolls over and does not expire until graduation.

If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please contact the Director of Dining Services Carol Norman, or you can ask to speak to any of the managers of the dining locations to point out which items offer what you are looking for.

If you have any further questions about your Meal Plan or dining locations, please visit sandiego.edu/dining.